Phoenix Suns Fan Viewing Guide For The Final Four

Posted on Apr 06, 2013

This has been the antithesis of a positive season, but for Phoenix Suns fans, it is a season they have been expecting and frankly wanting for a few years now. In the end the light at the end of the tunnel has always been the idea of bringing in a quality young piece to fast track the rebuilding process.

It is down to a Final Four in college basketball and the Suns are entrenched in their own version of the Final Four at the bottom of the NBA standings, which makes this years games relevant for Suns fans everywhere.

Over the past few years the Final Four has been a breading ground for potential top picks. In 2012 there were three lottery picks and nine total drafted players that came out of this same weekend. Taking it a step further over the past five years there has been a total of 14 lottery picks (2.8 per year) and 36 overall players drafted (7.2) that played in the Final Four. By no means is it an exact science, but this is somewhat of a barometer for NBA decision-makers to separate a group of prospects.

A years worth of scouting should not be thrown out the window for a handful of quality performances, that is basic logic, but we have seen in the past an NCAA Tournament run catapult a prospects stock to the moon. Case in point, Dwyane Wade, Kemba Walker, Al Horford, and Marvin Williams. Some mixed results there at the NBA level.

For the Suns (and every other lottery bound team) this is a final chapter before bringing in prospects for workouts. To set the table the Suns are right now in the third slot in the NBA Draft Lottery with good odds to draft in the Top 5 this summer. They will be gifted either the Los Angeles Lakers pick (if in the bottom 14) or the Miami Heat pick (if the Lakers make the playoffs). Also, they have three second round picks to play with and use to find a diamond in the rough.

This means they need to scout the Top 10 prospects, the late lottery, the late first round, and the second round with where they could be positioned. Overall this year they have to know the entire crop of prospects. Here is a look at the nine potential prospects in the 2013 NBA Draft:

The most talented athlete in the class this year (remaining in the Final Four) has all the tools to be a stand out NBA point guard. MCW has the size and length to be effective at the next level. If you are not familiar with the Syracuse point guard is a hybrid built in the form of Shaun Livingston or Penny Hardaway. A combination of play-making and scoring that is unique to the position.

His leap from freshman to sophomore year has been on a level that one looks for when evaluating potential NBA talent. The small guard with a big heart has proven to be a great play-maker all throughout the game and also that he can step-up late making big, clutch shots. Burke's play as of late has shown promise of him being somewhere between Kemba Walker and Ty Lawson at the NBA level.

As a freshman GR3 came in with a ton of hype and had not quite lived up to the hype early in the season, but over the course of the tournament he has played well scoring in double digits in three of the four games. He plays well off the ball doing a lot of good things staying active on both ends of the floor. He could easily be the Moe Harkless of this years draft.

Do true centers exist anymore in basketball? Dieng might be one of the last with the way he plays tough inside, defends the rim, and has a throwback feel to the way he approaches the game. He is not quite the athlete that Serge Ibaka is, but with his developing mid-range jump-shot and defensive abilities he could be a poor man's Ibaka at the next level.

He has all the tools. Great size, good shooter, pedigree, and experience playing for a quality program for years, but his inconsistency has kept him out of a first round slot in the NBA Draft. Hardaway Jr. has great value as a second round prospect that can play the two and the three effectively.

This is exactly what the Suns do not have; a polarizing scorer that can either win or lose a game for you with his decision-making. When Smith is on, playing well, and not turning the ball over -- Smith can be an elite Sixth Man in the mold of Bobby Jackson.

Last year Behanan was considered a potential first round pick in this years draft, but instead of dominating the ball and raising his stock, Behanan meshed with the team and evolved them into a National Title contender.

Stauskas is more than just a "shooter." That has been his label, but this season he has flashed the ability to handle the ball, make plays for others, and has rounded into the all-around offensive player he is today. He is likely coming back to Michigan next year, but is still a very skilled prospect to keep an eye on.